


And We Grow Into Ourselves

by mirrorverses



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adolescence is awkward and awful, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Canon Compliant, Denial, F/F, Internalized Homophobia, Self-Discovery, ridiculous mentions of pudding for no reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 00:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorverses/pseuds/mirrorverses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ginny can't stop thinking about Hermione, and is a hopeless closet case even to herself. Hermione's always cared for her, but never knew how to admit it. Over the summer before Ginny's fifth year, they kiss, and awkward denial ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And We Grow Into Ourselves

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress. Probably always will be. Originally there was a lot more plot to this, and it was going to be brilliant. But, real life caught up, and I didn't write for a year. But still, for your enjoyment (amusement?) here you go. I wrote this when I was thirteen, fair warning.

_Hands reached out, fingers clutched at soft, milky skin; eyes closed and lips united, every once in a while releasing slight, breathless gasps. Ginny ran her fingers through Hermione's soft chestnut curls, while Hermione tenderly brushed her lips against Ginny's, down her jaw, to her neck. Hermione leaned back for an instant and looking into Ginny's brown eyes, she whispered, "I love you"._  
Ginny woke out of bed with a start, shivering in the cold morning air, the unexpected daylight almost blinding her. What time is it? She thought. The Burrow was quiet, the ghoul wasn't even banging on the pipes. Merlin, this is the fifth time this week I've woken up this early, and it's always after I dream about…her.  
A pointless, achingly vivid dream that wouldn't go away. Every day she'd wake up thinking about Hermione and every night she'd fall asleep thinking about Hermione for no apparent reason. _I need to get this out of my system._ _I think I just miss talking to someone that isn't red-haired, male and smelly_. Plucking a quill and a scrap of parchment from her nightstand she began to write:  
Dear Hermione,  
How's it been? I know I haven't written you in a while.  
How's it like with your family, anything interesting? The Burrow is the same, though it looks like Fred and George are having a great time working on their joke shop. Bill and Fleur are engaged and living here, and Mum's not too happy about that.  
Will you be staying here at the Burrows? I'm pretty sure Harry's coming soon.  
Best,  
Ginny  
"There, that ought to do it," Ginny murmured absentmindedly. Clutching the parchment in hand, Ginny gingerly padded her way down the stairs over to her brother's room. Turning the knob, she peeked in and tiptoed to Pigwidgeon's cage. She hoped to send the letter and have Pig return before Ron awoke to avoid all the unwanted questions, but, of course, the stupid bird wouldn't cooperate with her plans. At the prospect of a mail delivery, Pigwidgeon started hooting and twittering excitedly in his cage, so, naturally, Ron woke up.  
"No.. wha- I don't want to wear the dress robes…Mum-Gah!" He was clearly still half-asleep, and rambled on a bit about some vision in the night, soon to be forgotten. "Ginny, wha you doin' in 'ere?" Ron said thickly, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed.  
"Sorry, Ron, I need to use Pig," Ginny replied, trying to hide the parchment in her hand.  
"Why?"  
"I'm just sending a letter to Hermione, that's all"  
"But, 'arry's supposed to write back today…"  
"Oh Ron, don't be a git, just use Errol!" Ginny snapped.  
"Whatever, I'm going back to sleep." And with that, Ron collapsed back on his bed, one eye still watching Ginny as she hurriedly attached the scrap to Pigwidgeon's leg and practically hurled the startled owl out the window.  
 _What's that all about?_ he wondered.  
  
"Ron! Ginny! Bill! Everyone down here! I've got breakfast made," Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. The household of redheads lazily traipsed downstairs one by one to go and eat. Ginny could hear Ron muttering on about "Why am I always woken up at the worst bloody time?"  
When everyone finally settled at the unusually large dining table, covered with toast, jam, and bacon, Mr. Weasley looked to the window to see a frail, tired-looking Errol flying back with the post. Ron got up to open the window before the bird could crash; however, this only complicated the situation as instead of crashing into glass, Errol collided with the table, covering the unsuspecting Weasleys in their breakfast. Bacon in their laps, spilled coffee all over Mr. Weasley's new trousers, the shaken owl had managed to turn a pleasant breakfast into a complete disaster area.  
"Ruddy bird!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed, exasperated.  
"Well, he's done worse. At least he didn't try to fly into a pot of boiling water like last time," Ron commented dryly, picking a strip of bacon from his hair and stuffing it into his mouth. Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and the food, coffee, and even the jam all went into the rubbish bin. Not a trace was left on the table or on the family.  
Ron murmured "Waste of food if you ask me," subtly eyeing the bin.  
"Now that we've had our daily disaster, can I go flying, Mum?" Ginny asked, ready to dash upstairs for her broom.  
"Alright Ginny, just be back by noon," her mother replied.  
As Ginny dashed up the staircase, she heard the faint twittering of a half-mad owl. Opening the door, she saw Pig was flitting about, beak full with a letter almost as big as he was. Ginny snatched it from him as he circled her head and tossed him a treat. Ginny laid down on her bed and opened the letter:  
Hi Ginny,  
I had a great summer, and I was busy (as usual) with the class load. I went to visit my great aunt in France. That woman is a nut, let me tell you. But she made some exquisite black pudding called Bouillabaisse. It's got a funny name, and downright odd ingredients, but the stuff actually isn't half bad. My great aunt showed me a lot of these old photo albums, and it looks like she was an overdressed flapper in her heyday (and still eating a ton of Bouillabaisse.) It was awful! I think I have some photos, you'll have to remind me to show you sometime. I find it a bit funny that she was more rebellious considering school than I've ever been in my life. I suppose my overachiever attitude doesn't necessarily run in the family. She dropped out of high school when she turned sixteen, married some rich bloke and I suppose she spent the rest of her life making Bouillabaisse.  
Speaking of school, I still think Fred and George should have stayed at Hogwarts, though sometime I'd like to visit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes just for some fun ( but don't tell them I said it!).  
I'll be over at the Burrow in a day, maybe less. I can't wait to see you all.  
Hermione  
Oh, and give Pigwidgeon a treat for me, he deserves it for carrying this letter.

  
Smiling, Ginny folded the letter and tucked it in her pocket. She stood to grab her broom and then left for the apple orchard. The fresh air would do her muddled mind good. Reaching an acceptable spot for takeoff, Ginny pulled her fiery red hair back into a low ponytail, mounted her broom, and kicked her heel to the ground. Her broom soared into the air, high above the tops of the trees of the orchard. To be up in the sky on a spectacularly clear September day was heaven. The sky was a brilliant, endless blue and the world below looked so small that Ginny could almost forget her distractions. Almost.  
 _It'd be a nice day to fly with Hermione._  
"Whoa, where did that come from?" Ginny muttered to herself, "I mean, she can't even fly." Narrowing her eyes, she slowed and snatched an apple from a tree. She accelerated, a few strands of rebellious red hair whipping around her rosy cheeks. With an effortless toss, perfected with weeks of practice, she threw it easily through the makeshift goal posts. If she wanted to stay on the team she had to keep her skills up, and that meant no distractions, including a certain bushy-haired friend. Ginny ran through several drills until noon before touching down near the house, her brow covered in sweat and various apple bits mashed into her clothes.  
Trudging inside the kitchen, she reached for a clean glass for water. As Ron passed through, looking for something to spoil his appetite, she asked him, "Have you gotten a reply from Harry yet?"  
"No, not yet," he replied, a hungry look on his face as he rummaged through the cupboards.  
"Well, I wouldn't worry. Living with those Muggles, he probably had to lock up Hedwig all summer," Ginny replied.  
"Yeh," Ron had been successful in his hunt, and answered with a mouth full of biscuits. "Wha' abou'choo? Did you 'ear back from Hermione?"  
"Yeah," Ginny said, a small smile spreading across her lips at her brother. "She should be here in a day… maybe less".  
Thoroughly burned out by the flight, Ginny excused herself from her distracted brother and dragged herself upstairs to her room and flopped on her bed, falling peacefully into an exhausted sleep a few moments later, no doubt still dreaming of Hermione.  
  
Ginny could feel someone shaking her awake.  
"Lemme 'lone," she moaned as she rolled over, trying to avoid the prodding hands.  
"Silly, wake up! It's me!" she heard a voice reply.  
Ginny bolted awake. No, it wasn't a dream. The girl she'd been fantasizing about for the past week was actually in her room, where she'd be staying until they left for Hogwarts.  
Holy shit.   
"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. She threw her arms around her friend's neck, thrilled at her arrival; but quickly pulled away, red-faced, at the recall of the vivid dreams she had had the past few nights.  
"W-when did you get here?" Ginny asked tentatively, hoping her raspy morning voice would mask how unsteady her voice really was.  
Hermione, masking a face of confusion, replied, "Oh, Ron sent Errol with a letter telling me they'd pick me up around ten o'clock, and well… here I am!" A brilliant grin spread across her face.  
"Really? What time is it?" Looking around her, she saw the light had changed now; it was a midnight blue outside her window. Apparently she had slept the whole day away.  
Hermione looked down and glanced at her watch. "Around eleven. Why?"  
"I've been out the whole day!" Ginny gasped. "Fuck, I missed the pumpkin pie! I passed out around noon today after practice and… I guess I just never woke up!"  
"God, you must have been tired. What were you practicing?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to Ginny on the bed, smoothing out her skirt.  
"Quidditch," Ginny responded. "I want to be able to stay on the team as a Chaser for fifth year. Seeker's not as much fun."  
"You were great when you were a Seeker! I don't doubt for a moment that you'd be amazing as a Chaser, though. I'd love to see you practice sometime." Hermione smiled warmly as she spoke and Ginny felt her stomach drop down to her toes.  
She noticed how the soft light from the lamp in her room played over Hermione's face as she formed the words with her lips. She stared at her features, noticing them all individually, from her nearly flawless skin to her pink lips. And her eyes! Those beautiful brown eyes were so warm and alive.  
 _What the hell is wrong with me? Am I attracted to her?_ Ginny wondered before realizing that she really needed to break the silence before looking like a complete lovesick puppy.  
"Well, erm… we should probably get to bed," Ginny choked out, but the words were still strong enough to shatter the moment. "I-I'm sure you're tired from the trip."  
Hermione's smile had faded as she got up from the bed, moving to the cot on the other side of the room, previously brought up by a grumbling Bill and Ron.  
"Yeah, sure," she said, nodding. Moving a curtain in front of her, Hermione started to undress. Ginny couldn't help watching as her silhouette danced across the curtain in the dim candlelight.  
"Hey," Ginny spoke, clearing her throat, hoping Hermione wouldn't detect the waver in her voice. "You mind showing me the photos of your great aunt tomorrow?" she asked.  
"Sure thing, Gin," Hermione answered, lowering the curtain to reveal a baby pink set of silk shorts and matching top. She padded over to the cot and slipped her feet under the blanket. As she turned on her side, Ginny admired the other girl's elegant arch of her back as she pursed her lips and blew out the candle.  
"G'night," Ginny whispered into the darkness.  
As her eyes adjusted, she saw Hermione's dark form curl up in bed and listened to her breathing slow and deepen. Ginny sat on her bed, arms curled around herself.  
 _I shouldn't be attracted to her, she thought. I mean… not only is she a girl but, come on, she's straight! There's no way she'd go for me. I'm not even sure I like her! I mean, it could just be that I've been stressed about Quidditch and maybe O.W.L.s this upcoming year. It's nothing. I mean… there's no way I'm a lesbian. I mean, I was once in love with Harry. I'm sure that this is just some trick my mind is playing on me… and I'll laugh about it when I'm older._  
Ginny struggled, fighting a battle in her head against herself, hoping for some distraction… but the only other noise in the room was Hermione's breathing.  
 _I'm fucked._  
And with that, Ginny lay down on her bed, closing her eyes, not even yet rid of her previous nap, and slammed the pillow over her head to block out the sound. And all the while Ginny fought this never-ending battle with herself, she didn't even notice Hermione's open eyes, glinting in the faint moonlight as they watched her from the other side of the room.  
  
Light slowly crept into the room, soft and hazy. Ginny sat up slowly, savoring the laziness and the quiet of the early morning. She saw Hermione's sleeping face on the other side of the room. It was endearing, and a little less guarded than the Hermione she'd come to know over the years.  
 _I'd like to see that face more often._ Ginny thought fondly.  
Shaking her head and silently scorning herself for thinking such things, she stepped out of her robes from the day before and stalked out to the bathroom to start her shower. Enjoying the hot water and steam around her, Ginny rubbed almond scented shampoo into her scalp, sighing as she scrubbed away her headaches and the rest of her troubles…  
Until she heard a knock on the door.  
"Hey, Gin, is that you?" Ginny could make out Hermione's voice from behind the door. Scrambling to shut off the water, Ginny grabbed a towel as Hermione shifted nervously at the silence on the other side of the door. _She probably noticed me staring at her last night_ , Hermione cursed herself. _God, two years of unrequited love and you'd have thought I'd learned by now. This is hopeless._  Hermione had almost decided to leave, embarrassed at the thought of accidentally interrupting one of the Weasley boys' shower, until the door creaked open and Ginny stepped out, hair sopping wet and only a towel to cover her. Steam swirled out of the bathroom and Ginny spoke, "Erm, sorry… do you need anything from the cabinet?"  
"Oh I'm sorry, I-I didn't know," Hermione stuttered, fussing nervously with an untamed curl-a habit Ginny had never noticed before. "I just woke up when I heard the water, and needed to brush my teeth." Hermione held up her toiletry bag. "I can leave if you want," she continued, hoping that Ginny didn't notice her face, reddening by the minute.  
"Oh, it's no problem. We're both girls, right?" offered Ginny, inwardly laughing at the irony. _As if I hadn't thought of that problem thousands of times before_ , she thought. Ginny moved to the side and let Hermione come in. As Hermione grabbed her toothbrush, Ginny turned and let her towel drop to the floor, stepping back into the shower. She went back to soaping up her scalp when Hermione spoke.  
"So when did Fleur get here?"  
Ginny stared at the wall, trying not to notice the fact that Hermione was in the same bathroom with her as she was completely bloody naked.  
 _Isn't this the part where you two have passionate sex in the shower?_ A snarky little voice inside her head asked.  
 _Shut up, there's nothing going on_ , Ginny defended as a voice broke through her thoughts.  
"Ginny? Did you hear me?" Hermione rinsed her mouth and started packing her things.  
"Oh, sorry," Ginny called back, embarrassed. "Anyway, Fleur came a couple months ago, around the time Bill got a closer job with Gringotts. She can be alright… but I swear, sometimes she's so bloody annoying I just call her Phlegm to vent. She's just so condescending sometimes. Ugh."  
"I can imagine," Hermione laughed. "So, I was rummaging around in my trunk and found my great-aunt's flapper pictures, did you still want to see them?"  
"Yeah, of course! Just hang on a sec." Not thinking, Ginny stepped out naked, which Hermione was completely unprepared for. She turned her head a fraction of an inch away, hoping that Ginny didn't notice her odd reaction. Ginny, oblivious to Hermione's actions, wrapped her towel around her and they returned to Ginny's room. Hermione dug out the pictures out of the top compartment of her trunk and they sat side by side on Hermione's cot.  
"Hey, why are the pictures moving? I thought your family was all Muggles?" Ginny asked.  
"Well, apparently, this is the one witch in my family," Hermione replied with a small smile.  
Ginny leaned in closer to see the photos, careful not to get water from her still dripping hair on them or Hermione.  
As the two flipped through the photos, one showed an older version of Hermione wearing a flapper dress and a turban, dancing on a tabletop.  
"Is that her? That's too funny!" Ginny laughed. "She looks quite like you, you know. But I can't say I can imagine you ever doing that."  
"Yeah, my parents have told me the same thing quite often." Hermione flipped to another photo showing a beautiful woman clothed in a white dress with a beaded bodice and lace sleeves. She stood next to a young man with slicked back hair, dressed in a white suit. They waved from the photograph and laughingly threw Bouillabaisse at each other.  
"That was their wedding day."  
"With the famous Bouillabaisse," Ginny laughed again, making Hermione smile. Ginny nestled into her shoulder as they sat calmly in silence.  
I wish every moment was like this. I love how she leans into me like that. She's so soft, and I love her laugh. I wish I could tell her… Hermione reflected.  
"Breakfast, everyone!" Mrs. Weasely called, shaking them out of their reverie.  
"I'm gonna get dressed, meet you down in a few?" Ginny asked, moving towards her dresser to retrieve something to wear. Hermione nodded, offered a small departing smile, and walked out.  
Selecting an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts, Ginny tied back her wet hair into a ponytail and trotted downstairs after her friend. Everyone was seated around the table. Ron was next to Bill, who was next to Fleur. The only spot left was next to Hermione.  
As they were eating, Errol flew in and crashed into the window, sliding down into the flower pots in exhaustion. Ron got up to fish him out and read Harry's letter aloud:  
Ron,  
Assuming the Dursleys don't turn into complete prats (well, I mean even more of complete prats) and try to lock me in a closet, I should be there in only a day or so. I'm almost sure Dumbledore will be bringing me.  
Harry  
"Well," Mrs. Weasley said, "Now at least we know when to expect him. That boy does need to eat more, you know. Those horrid Muggles he lives with hardly feed him anything!"  
"Mum, do you know when we'll be getting our school letters?" Ginny asked.  
"Should be in the next week or so dear, would you like some more eggs?" Mrs. Weasely reached over and added another scoop onto Ginny's plate before her daughter could answer.  
The Weaselys chattered on, not noticing the two girls at the end of the table who ate their breakfast in silence. Ginny brought small bites of food to her mouth absentmindedly, sometimes catching herself staring at Hermione, which were usually the times she ended up missing her mouth with the fork. She was staring again and she felt a sharp poke as her fork crashed into her cheek again, spilling the egg all down her front.  
Hermione stifled a laugh as she offered, "Here, I'll help you clean up." She took her napkin from her lap before Ginny could protest, and began to wipe the egg from her shirt. Ginny blushed as she got the last of the ketchup from off her chin.  
Neither of the two noticed Ron watching the exchange.  
"Hey Mum, can Hermione and I go to the apple orchard? I need to work on some drills," said Ginny, already moving to dash upstairs.  
"Alright dear, just be…"  
"Back by noon." Ginny finished. She ran upstairs to get her broom, nearly tripping on a couple of steps.  
 _Why am I so excited to fly with Hermione? It's not that big of a deal, is it?_  
Shaking her head, she grabbed her broom, dashed back downstairs, and the two girls set off towards the apple orchard. They walked side by side in the dry field, the day as clear as the one before.  
Taking a deep inward breath, Ginny sighed, "Ahh, I love this sort of weather."  
"Mmm, me too," Hermione agreed.  
As they walked, Ginny noticed how she walked in-step with Hermione, and how she tended to walk a little closer to her than she planned.  
 When they reached the orchard, Hermione sat down.  
"What do you think you are you doing?" Ginny asked.  
"I can't fly to save my life; I just want to see you practice."  
"We can fix that," Ginny said excitedly. Grabbing Hermione by the arm, she dragged her to the broom. Ginny swung her leg over.  
"Come on, then. What're you waiting for?"  
"I… I don't really like flying, Ginny-"  
"Nonsense. Once you get the hang of it, you'll love it! Come on, 'Mione." Ginny offered her an encouraging smile and stretched out her hand. After a moment's hesitation, Hermione took her hand and slowly swung one leg over the broom.  
"Hang on, now," Ginny told her, and Hermione secured her arms around Ginny. Kicking off from the ground, Ginny braced herself as they took off into the air. Unprepared for the sudden speed, Hermione let out a small shriek as they soared into the clear summer sky.  
Hermione leaned into Ginny's back as they flew. Normally, she was absolutely terrified of heights, but for some unknown reason, she didn't find this time so unnerving. Her senses seemed heightened from the sudden rush of adrenaline, and she noticed the pleasant almond scent emanating from Ginny's dried hair. She felt exhilarated as she observed Ginny's fiery red hair whipping around her face, which bore an expression of complete and utter delight. Hermione shut her eyes and nestled her cheek into Ginny's back, savoring the moment.  
Ginny's heart flew into her throat the moment she took off, but it was Hermione reaching around her waist that made her breath catch in her throat. As her old broom cut cleanly through the air, she looked down, seeing the tiny red dots of the apples in the trees. Everything seemed so perfect at that moment. Feeling a sudden rush of courage, she leaned forward into a dive. Hermione gripped her tighter and let out a small squeal, seeming to brace herself for impact, but at the last second Ginny easily leaned back and straightened out and they rose back into the air again.  
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Ginny called over the sound of wind against her ears.  
"I guess," was all Hermione could manage.  
"Did that scare you?" Ginny asked playfully.  
"A little," she admitted.  
"I'll be sure to warn you next time."  
In reply, Hermione's death grip around Ginny's shirt loosened as she settled into the broom. Hermione's panic quickly subsided and she soon learned to lean into the turns and to relax into the dives of the broomstick. Every time they dove Ginny gave her a moment to brace herself, and Hermione felt less terror each time.  
 _Who knew that flying could be so much fun?_    
"I'm going touch down now, it's almost noon," Hermione heard Ginny call over the rush of wind.  
"Okay," Hermione called back, almost wishing they could stay longer in the air.  
 Hermione leaned into Ginny as the broom angled down. They touched down softly on the tall grass and Hermione knew that the ride was over. She dismounted, her legs sore from tensing them up during the flight. Her face felt raw from the wind.  
Ginny sat for a moment, staring up at the sky, remembering the feel of Hermione's hands around her waist and trying to engrave the image in her mind when a cough shook her out of her thoughts.  
"I guess we better get going," Ginny said, she dismounted and started walking with Hermione back to the Burrow. They walked in silence, though not the same awkward one they had experienced at the breakfast table that morning. Walking in tandem, it surrounded them like a quilt, comfortable and safe.  
 The walk seemed too short to Ginny when they finally arrived at the front door of the Burrow. Still extremely aware of Hermione walking next to her, Ginny pushed the door open for the other girl and followed her into the house.  
"I'll grab some lunch. D'you want anything?" Ginny asked, heading towards the kitchen.  
"Just some pumpkin juice, thanks Gin," Hermione answered.  
Rummaging through whatever food she could find in the kitchen, Ginny walked out triumphantly holding the last of the biscuits, some pumpkin juice, and a corned beef sandwich. "Let's go up to my room then, shall we?" she called over her shoulder to Hermione, and with a smile, they started up the stairs.  
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, "I'd almost forgotten. I've got some more photos of my trip to France. Would you like to see them?" she asked as they stopped in front of the door to Ginny's room. If Ginny hadn't known better, by the odd look on her face she would have thought Hermione was nervous.  
"Yeah, of course," she replied. "I've always wanted to go to France, you know."  
"Maybe when you're a famous Quidditch player," Hermione smiled.  
  
Ginny laughed, and pushed the door open. She spread out on her bed; her head at the foot, while Hermione flipped opened her massive trunk to find the photos. Ginny opened the box of biscuits, nibbling on one as she waited for Hermione to finish her search. Hermione straightened up, holding in her hand a giant envelope. Ginny rolled over onto her stomach as Hermione settled in next to her. Hermione opened the envelope to reveal a picture of her on a grassy hill. In the background was a massive old castle constructed of grayish-charcoal colored stones. Hermione walked around inside the image, laughing as she posed next to the fortress.  
"While my family visited France, we did a huge tour of the castles. This one is Château de Baynac; built around the 12th century. It looks fairly intimidating, I know, but a lot of the sculpture and architecture inside are really quite beautiful," Hermione explained. She had a reminiscent look as she let her mind wander back to those few cherished weeks on holiday. Ginny had never really been one to pay attention to dates or architecture, but somehow when Hermione was the one talking about it, it was a lot more interesting. Captivating, even.  
  
Hermione picked up another photo. This picture, unlike the first, was taken with a Muggle camera. It showed the light of the sunset creating a huge, looming silhouette of the castle. The sky was a fiery gold tinged with red that shifted into a lighter purple, in stark contrast to the silhouetted château.  
"This is the same castle, we got to visit this one the longest," Hermione murmured.  
"It's beautiful," Ginny replied, gazing at the striking piece. They flipped through a countless amount of photos; from those showing Hermione and her parents together, to others of sunsets and landscapes of far-off places.  
"I love some of these," Ginny gushed, looking at a particularly beautiful picture of Hermione standing in front of a rustic-looking gateway. "When did you start taking pictures?" she asked.  
"It's a hobby I picked up over the summer, actually. Colin got me into it after he showed me all of his collections. He might be a bit annoying, sometimes, but he really is talented with a camera."  
"Mhm," Ginny hummed in agreement. She looked up to see the light in the room had changed. She peered over Hermione's head at her window; the light outside had faded and darkened. Apparently they'd spent a couple hours just going through the photos. Blimey, she thought.  
Shifting her gaze back down at the photos, Ginny found herself absentmindedly leaning closer to Hermione. Stop, she warned herself. She leaned back and made sure to scoot her body away a couple centimeters.  
"Erm, want a biscuit? Mum made them, they're really quite good," Ginny asked, trying to shake away the silence.  
"Oh sure," Hermione answered. "I don't get to have sweets very often, what with my parents being dentists and all." Hermione rolled her eyes.  
Hermione reached for the biscuit, and her hand brushed against Ginny's. The contact, while slight, was filled with such electricity it nearly made Ginny jump. The intensity surprised her, but the sudden touch was something Ginny couldn't deny that she found pleasant.  
   
Suddenly overcome with courage, Ginny smoothly wound her fingers through Hermione's and pulled her closer. She closed her eyes, savoring that one last image of the other girl's face beneath her lids, and pressed her lips against hers. It was new, and foreign, but it was a sweet kiss, and for a moment Ginny thought she might have felt her heart stop. That single point of contact was enough to make her shiver. She wanted more, and there was nothing in the way. Ginny reached up and cradled Hermione's neck with her hand as she entangled her fingers in her hair.  
   
Hermione hadn't made a move to stop her, and as Ginny timidly pressed her lips against Hermione's, she could detect the faint scent of almonds, and savored the silky soft taste of her lips. With Ginny's arms around her neck, fingers in her hair, Hermione moved her hands to bring Ginny closer. She parted her lips, dying for a taste of more of her lips. Just then, Ginny jumped up, panicked and shaking. She took wobbly, crooked steps backwards, nearly falling off the bed, trying to get as far away from Hermione as possible.  
"Oh my god Hermione, I'm so sorry. I-I cant… I w-wont… ever to do that again,"  
Ginny blurted, "How could I be so stupid?"  
"It's alright," Hermione said in a smooth, quiet voice, trying to calm down the other girl.  
"No! No, it's not," Ginny rambled. "I-I really am sorry. C-could you please not mention this to anyone?"  
Hermione, hiding hurt and confusion, hoped Ginny took her expression as one of surprise. It's not that she didn't want to be with her, she did, but even as the words formed in her mouth, something held her back. "Alright," she agreed quietly.  
Ginny's face automatically relaxed. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"I'll go take my shower, now," Hermione said, breaking the silence. With a tight smile, she picked up her toiletry bag and walked stiffly over to the bathroom.  
Ginny slipped her shaking hand beneath her pillow, searching for her nightclothes. She stripped quickly; pulling her shirt over her head and wriggling out of her pants as she heard the handle in the bathroom squeak and the water begin to run. Yanking her pajamas over her head, she slipped beneath the covers on her bed. Wrapping the duvet around her, she stared at the ceiling.  
 _That kiss, it was a mistake_ , scolding herself. _This doesn't prove anything about Hermione and me. I should just be grateful that she decided to drop it…even though I wish…_  
 _Fuck, am I an idiot._  
Ginny tossed and turned, eventually shoving her face into the pillow in frustration. I'm not getting any sleep tonight. And with that, Ginny rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut, praying that guilt and anxiety would show mercy, and eventually let sleep take her.  
  
Hermione slathered her hair with shampoo. The hot water from the shower relaxed her tense muscles and eased her tired body, though her mind still could use some clearing.  
 What was that all about?  
She stood in the shower, letting the soap run down her back as it rinsed out of her thick hair. What does it mean? Damn her, what the hell am I supposed to make of something like this?  
Stepping out of the shower, she whispered a quick drying spell on her hair and combed through her head of curls. She pulled on her pajamas, her mind still preoccupied by the day's strange events. Opening the door, the light from the bathroom fell upon the girl in bed. Tiptoeing quietly across the floor, Hermione reached for the light, pausing for a moment to drink in Ginny's appearance, from her fiery red hair splayed across the pillow, to her freckled face and soft pink lips. Her face, relaxed and peaceful rather than the anxious, worried expression she’d worn over the past week. Hermione, still staring at the girl across the room, turned out the light, the darkness erasing any vision she had. Erasing Ginny.  
"Goodnight Ginny," Hermione whispered into the darkness. But behind her lips were the unsaid words she wouldn't ever speak.  
As Hermione lay her head down and allowed her eyelids to droop, one word appeared in her mind before she drifted off to sleep.  
 _Maybe._  
  
Ginny started awake to a crash coming from Ron’s room. Looking over ad Hermione’s empty bed, she promptly threw herself out of bed and grabbed her wand. Her socked feet skidding on the hardwood floor as she raced to her brother’s room. Upon entering she saw a startled Harry rubbing his head and ducking under the pillows as Ron proceeded to throw another shoe at Harry.  
“Ron! Don’t throw things at him!” Hermione shouted, pulling Ron back.  
“What’s going on?” Ginny exclaimed.  
“Oh nothing, Ron’s just pissed that Harry came here and didn’t even tell him.”  
“Oh hey Harry!” Ginny turned to the disheveled boy in bed.  
“When did you get here?” Ron asked eagerly, pulling over a nearby chair and sitting down.  
“Around one a.m. I think” Harry responded.  
“Were the Muggles treating you ok?” Ginny asked, plopping herself on the bed.  
“Yeah, all right. How’s it here?”  
“It’s her she’s driving me mad.”  
“Who?”  
“Fleur. She’s so full of herself”  
“Agreed. She always talks to us as if we’re three” Hermione chimed in as she sat down next to Ginny.  
“Oh come off it, you’re just jealous of her.” Ron argued.  
“Stop defending her, we know you wish you could snog her” Ginny retorted.  
“Yeah, well, I’m not the only one”  
And with that, Ginny grew silent. _Oh shit. Does he know?_  
Hermione, noticing the awkward silence, spoke “So what’s been going on Harry?”  
“Nothing much, just with my aunt and uncle as usual” Harry replied, pushing himself up off his pillows.  
“But you’ve been off with Dumbledore!” Ron cut in, his eyes shining.  
“Wasn’t that great, all he wanted was me to convince this old teacher to come back. I think his name’s Horace Slughorn”. Harry responded.  
“We thought-” Ginny started, but Hermione had elbowed her so hard that her breath had flown out of her lungs.  
“She means that she’d thought it’d have been something like that” Hermione interjected.  
“Am I missing something?” Harry asked. Just then the door burst open and Fleur floated in carrying a heavy tray with enough food to feed an army. Though Fleur could be a pain sometimes, Ginny had to admit that with her veela grace, she was beautiful. Not like Hermione though. The thought came in, unbidden, and she was so distracted that she didn’t notice when Harry yanked his covers up to his chin, sliding both Ginny and Hermione to the floor.  
Hermione pushed herself to her feet, looking at a Ginny lying in a heap on the floor.  
“Need any help?” Hermione asked as she held out her hand to Ginny, her eyes twinkling with laughter. Ginny stared at the hand for a second, “Oh right, yeah” and Ginny grabbed her hand, letting Hermione pull her to her feet. Ginny looked over at Harry, his eyes looked a little glazed over, and she was pretty sure that Fleur’s veela magic was affecting him too. If she’d been the same girl she was at eleven, the sight would have enraged her. Now, she only saw him as a brother.

  
Doing menial tasks, reading and constantly avoiding Hermione’s gaze had made the last few days of summer  move torturously slow. After the entire Weasely household had bought their supplies in Diagon Alley and prepared for their leave for Hogwarts that week, Ginny constantly found herself asking, _how can I keep up? OWLs are this year, I have something going on with Hermione, who’s usually the person I ask for help and on top of it I have to keep up the brutal practice to be a Chaser. Is this worth it?_  



End file.
